Rising Irish MMA star Rhys McKee has vowed to be an underdog with bite when he makes his UFC debut against Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi.
The Chechen-born grappler, who boasts a 7-0 record, is 1/12 with most bookmakers to enhance his CV when the two enter the Octagon in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
But McKee, who flew out to the Middle East on Monday after taking the welterweight fight at only six days notice, is confident he can cause a shock on Fight Island.
The Ballymena fighter, who has excelled on the Cage Warriors stage in recent years, said: “Khamzat is unbeaten, there’s a massive hype train behind him and he’s no joke.
“I’ll be the underdog – apparently – but I thrive on that. I have absolutely nothing to lose and the man who has nothing to lose is dangerous.
“I’m not here to make up the numbers on a fight card. I’m here to get a win. It’s a chance for me to make history and really let people know who Rhys McKee is.”
McKee underwent quarantine and a series of COVID-19 tests after arriving in the Middle East and had to train in his hotel room with specially matted floors.
In contrast, Chimaev, who is tipped for big things in the UFC, has been resident in Abu Dhabi since beating Welshman John Phillips 10 days ago.
Everything is stacked against McKee, but the heavy handed 24-year-old, who has a 10-2-1 record, insists there is no easy pathway to stardom in the UFC.
“It’s been a whirlwind few days, but that’s fine,” he said. “I told my girlfriend Rebecca that nothing’s going to be normal on this journey, but that’s OK.
“It’s all about learning to sail in stormy weather and it’s something I’m comfortable with. It’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Due to lockdown, McKee’s last outing was in November when he beat Norwegian Hakon Foss in 63 seconds while headlining a Cage Warriors bill in Cork.
“I’ve stayed sharp, done what I had to do and made sure I was ready for an opportunity like this coming along,” he said.
“I’ve gone through a lot of emotions the past few days, but the main emotion is excitement and a determination to put on a performance of a lifetime.
“Khamzat is dangerous and his gameplan will be different – he’ll look to hold me down and against the cage – but I’m unorthodox, hard to catch and I have knockout power.”
- The UFC Fight Island Main card, including McKee v Chimaev and the eagerly-awaited Middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Darren Till starts on BT Sport at 1am, Sunday.
